Sands of Chiaroscuro

All the fates come pouring down...

Rent Dream

Description

Rent Dream is a semi-sentient amulet, crafted of both the very essence of souls and soulsteel by soulforgers in service to the First and Forsaken Lion.

When worn, this broken amulet can only summon a modium of it’s former power – by encapsulating the wearer in the authority of one who officially serves a Deathlord, the bearer cannot be struck or attacked by any ghost (including hungry Po) of lesser permanent Essence rating without that ghost spending a point of temporary Willpower.

Additionally, when grasped, Rent Dream can be mentally urged to focus out it’s former power, giving that authority into form – the bearer can make use of the Solar charm “Hypnotic Tongue Technique”, as though they were a Solar with Presence 3, Permanent Essence 2 – though if higher, the bearer may substitute their own ratings.

This “charm” functions exactly as the Solar original – bar that the bearer may only use this Compulsion against ghosts (including hungry Po, wandering Po, war ghosts, and nephwracks). It uses as many motes of Essence and the one point of temporary Willpower that the original charm costs.

Unfortunately, Rent Dream is hungry, both for spite’s sake, as well as for blood to feed. To bind the amulet to themselves, a would-be bearer must accept a daily consumption that causes one level of bashing damage, regardless of their current state – this may cause death if the situation is right. Additionally, whilst bonded, the bearer will suffer from the 1-point version of the “Nightmares” flaw – if already suffering from such, the flaw is increased by “1 point”, to a maximum of 6 points (five point flaw, increased by one due to Rent Dream’s influence).

Backstory

In life, Rent Dream had a different name – in service to the primordial “She Who Lives in Her Name”, he had been caught in the detonation of her souls in her final act of rebellion – unlike many who were sent to the Lethe instantly, however, Rent Dream was trapped in the rupture of the Shadowlands, bound to a ghoulish life without end.

Now, however, he exists as a shard of his former self, literally, having made the unfortunate mistake of crossing a nephwrack on official business for the Mask of Winters – the spectre having taken the step to have him dragged, screaming, to be reforged as an amulet gift to one of the Deathlord’s many servants.

During the time of Contagion, however, the death knight that was gifted with the amulet had been attacked by treacherous and soul-hungry fair folk – just as the amulet had been snatched for consumption, both were caught in the wave of the Sword of Creation, Rent Dream’s former name and form shattered by the force.

Alone, broken, and tainted by both the underworld and the wyld, he exists now in a semi-sentient state, never waking, never sleeping, restless and betrayed, half-aware and raging at what he can sense, a true child of the Neverborn…